Process of manufacturing sheet articles



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C. A. FLOOD PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SHEET ARTICLES Filed Deo. 20, 19265 Sheets-sheet 2 j Y Z l L' I l (fw F111 J\ Jan. 8, 1929.

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Jan. s, 1929.

C. A. FLOOD- PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SHEET ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Deo. 20, 1926 Jan. 8, 1929.

C. A. FLOOD PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SHEET ARTICLES Filed Deo. 20, 19265 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented dan, 8, i929.

naaien i??? nani CARL A.FLOODQGF FRAMNGI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0DEN'NISON MANU'- FACTURITG COMPANY, 0F FRAM MASSACHUSETTS.

Ifllv; MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF rnoonss or iirnnnracroiainosi-innr Anriciins.

Application led December 20, 1926. Serial No. 155,804.

rlhis invention relates to the production of shipping tags or the like,which are characterized by rhaving string-receiving openings that arereinforced by patches or washers.

The present invention discloses means whereby patches may becontinuously cut from a sheet or strip of patch material, preferablybeing first divided into longitudinal ribbons having iiiterittingmarginal undulations7 these ribbons in turn being guided to the oppositefaces of a strip of tag stock and individual patches being separatedfrom the Wstrips and applied to opposite surfaces of wetand thelongitudinal ribbons passing through a suitable factor for wetting thesaine7 the patches being so located upon the tags that the protuberantundulatory marginal portions thereof are locatedat either side of thestring-receiving openings in order to provideasiificient amount ofreinforcing' material about the same. The individual patches arepreferably severed from -the longitudinal strip or ribbon alongl astraight edge'which is in substantial alignment with the edge of the tagstock, whereby the patch as applied to tiie tag may have its edge insubstantial registration with the edge of the and the entire areabetween 'the stringreceiving opening and the adjoining edge of the ta gmay be reinforced by patch material.

The above andfurther objects of the in.-

vention will become apparent to `those skilledv in the art upon areading of the subjoined description and claims in conguiiction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate one forni of apparatus for13erforming the desired series of'operations.

ln the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus; Y

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same, with parts broken awayand parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is an elevational side View of the patchffeed mechanism andthedie which cooperates therewith;

Fig. l is a top view of similar mechanism;

Fig. 5 isa detailed elevational View;

Fig. 6 assembly; Y f

Fig. VZ is a section online 6 6 of Fig'. k5 showing the die members`mutually apyproached;

Fig. 8 isa similar'vie'w showing the same spaced apart; and y Fig. 9 isaplan View of a porti-on of the patch'stoclr, the dot and dash linesshowing the way the separate patches are cut from the same.

While the accompanying drawings illus-l trate one ,form of apparatuswhich is adapted continuously to receive'strips of patch material andtag stock to form the patches and to apply the same to the tags whileforming string-receiving openings in the superimposed patches and tags,it is to be understood l is an elevational view of the die that thisconcrete embodiment of the apparatus is merely shown for purposes ofillustration and the steps, and operations occurring in conjunction withthis method and apparatus need not exactly coincide with the illustratedmethod nor occur continuously as shown.

Referring more particularly to Figs. and- 2, the patchnstock 7, which isvpreferably gummed,' may be received in a continuous numeral L andcomprising a series of' disks with undulated peripheries adapted torotate in closejuxtapositio'n to a plain roller in orderto cut the stripof Vpatch material intoy longitudinal ribbons,v edge' portions of whichare provided with undulations which are adapted substantially tointerfit, The ribbons asthus lcut are directed in any suitable manner to'a moistening factor 10 which is adapted to render the gum ormucilaginous readily adhesive.

substanceV upon one surfaceofthe ribbon The ribbon is then drawn totheguidev element lwhich isv adapted to guide'onel stripl of ribbon in alpath above andparallel f 210.5.

to the path of the other strip, the lower strip being twisted so thatits moistene'd face is eob vstrip from the reel 1, passing under andover suitable guide members 3 and 2 respectively to a cutter of the'typeYhaving disks with wavy or Zig-Zag edges, indicated byv the.

- may be connected by suitable linkage to the Vlever 27 which is adaptedto reciprocate the and the corresponding apparatus, it is to beunderstood that the guiding mechanism 13 comprises superimposed plateshaving Vchanl nels lil, designated by dotted lines (F ig. 3), which areadapted to receive the ribbons of patch material above each other.

Preferably the patch ribbons are moved in synchronized relation with themovement of the tag stock itself, this movement being impartedY by meansof a shaft 2O having suitable eccentrics 21, 22 and 23v for drivingvarious parts of the mechanism in synchronized relation. As shown, theeccentric 22 patchefeeding mechanism through link 2,8.

V"This patchfeeding mechanism preferably comprises a frame 39 slidableon guide element 13 kand having oppositely disposed diagonal fingers 29,juxtaposed ends of which are shaped to engage the undulated marginalportions of the patch ribbon and which are normally drawn towards eachother by a spring 30. Reciprocation of the feeding mechanism results inthe Vpinching of the margins of the ribbon by the ends of the fingers 29and reciprocating movement of these lingers results in feeding of thepatch material toward the die. In order to hold the patch material inadvanced position in the manner indicated, suitable retention iing gers33, which correspond somewhat indimensions and relation to each otherwith the arrangement of members 29 (Fig. 5), are supported upon themembers 13, being -drawn toward each other by spring 32.

Any suitable guides 31 may extend from this portion of the mechanismtowards the die assembly indicated in general by numeral 40. ThusA theribbon is advanced by fingers 29 which grip the same, but lingers335engage reentrant marginal portions of `the strip to retain it inadvanced position,

being forced intomore firmV gripping relation with the saine by tendencyof the strip to move backward when the motion of carrier 13 and fingers29 is reversed, while retraction ofthe member 39 andthe angularity oflingers 29 cause them to be spread apart and the spring v to lbeexpanded by the cam-like bearing of the former upon the curved marginalsurfaces of the patch ribbon. l

The die assembly preferably comprises upperrand low-er die elements iland l2 respectively igs.l 41- and 5) and an intermediate fiXed guidepiece 33 with related parts. Preferably this' guide piece is providedwith suitableV slots for receiving the -paralflel ribbons of patchstock, desigi nated by numeral 63, and' is provided with suitable slots34 for guiding the tag stock 50 in a plane parallel to and spacedbetween the planes of the patch ribbons. Above the plane of slots 34: isthe die member l1 which is adapted to have an edge 62 pass downwardly inclose alignment with the edge of the tag stock while die 42 has asimilarupward movement, The plate 37 projects from the mid portion of bracketand is adapted to cooperate `with the dies to sever or shear theindividual patches from the patch strips. The die il is also providedwith an intermediate plunger 43, which may be projected below the planeof the rest of the upper die. Preferably the die elements are operatedby the eccentric mechanism previously referredto through suitableconnecting rods i5 and l? respectively (Fig. 2), while the plunger isactuated through cam 23, being provided with a spring 57 normally tohold it up.

The die elements are thus preferably brought into juxtaposed relation,being spaced apart vat a distance (Fig. 7) which will permit their planesurfacestopress the patches into adhesive engagement with the taglwithout objectionally crushing the same, while the plunger i3 is drivendownward for a sufficientdistance to cutsmall disks` out of 'thesuperimposed patches and tags, these disks dropping from the machinethrough the bore i9 in the lower die. Thus between each step-by-stepmovement, flat adjoining surfaces of the die elements are adapted topress a'gummed patch upon each ofthe opposite faces of a tag element,rsubsequentlyto the severing of the individual patches from the ribbonsof patch material, and concomitantly with the cutting of thestring-receiving openings in patch and tag `material. may be separatedfrom the tag stock in any suitable manner.

j If desired, the original strip or sheet of patch material may be widerthan shown and a sufiicient number of patch ribbons 110 may be cut by asingle cutter having an appropriate number of disks to supply severalpatch-applying machines; it being under-y stood that in case the patchstockis slit in Y the samccontinuous operation with the 115 applicationof the patches to the tags asV i shown, for illustration, thecutter isdriven at a speed proportional to that of the main shaft 2O by anysuitable means. Y Y It is thus evident that a continuous 120 method `ofmaking Vtags with adhesively of the patches to the tag may be accom 130Subsequently the individual tags plislied in a single operation andin'synchronized relation with the cutting of the longitudinal ribbons sothat 'production of tags of this type may take place with highetliciency and at nominal cost.

I claim:

l. The 'method of making tags of sheet material with an openingreinforced by patches, which comprises cutting the patch material intolongitudinal strips, subsequently feeding one of said strips to aposition above and another of said strips toV a position below a stripof tag stock, cutting olf individual patches, and simultaneouslypunching openings therein and in the tag stock located therebetween andapplying the patches to the tag stock, and subsequently separatingindividual tags from the strip of tag stock.

2. The method of making tags of sheet material with an openingreinforced by patches, which comprises feeding a strip of patch materialin intermittent synchronism with a strip of tag stock, cutting the patchmaterial in two longitudinal strips, guiding one of said strip to aposition above and the other of said strips to a position below theAstock, cuttingv off individual patches. and

applying the patches to the tag stock, and

-subsequently sepa-rating individual tags from the strip of tag stock.r

3. The method of making tags of sheet material with an openingreinforced b? patches, which comprises cutting two longitudinal stripsfrom the patch Ymaterial with margins having alternate recesses and protuberances of like but reverse contour, the protuberances ofone stripfitting the recesses of they next strip, subsequently feeding one ofsaid strips toa position above and the other of said strips to aposition below thev stock, cutting olf individual patches, concomitantlypunching openings therein and in the tag stock located therebetween andapplying the patches to the tag stock, and

' subsequently separating individual tags from the strip of tag stock.

4. The method of making tags of sheet material with an opening'reinforced by patches, which comprises cutting the patch material intolongitudinal strips with mai'- giiis having alternate recesses 'andprotuberances of like but reverse conteur, the protuberances of onestriptitting the recesses of the next strip, Vguiding one of said stripsto a position in juxtaposed parallelisni te the tag stock, andtransversely severing the strips at intervals corresponding to the sumof one recess and one protuberance to provide individual patches,applying the patches to the tag stock, and punching openings therein andin the tag stock.

5. The method of making tags'of sheet material with an openingreinforced by patches, which comprises cutting the patch material intolongitudinal strips with undulated margins, protuberances of one ofwhich substantially interit with recesses of the other, feeding similarstrips thus formed to a position above and below a strip of tag stockwith the protuberauces in substantially registering relation, severingindividual patches from the strip and punching ahole through saidbetween. l

6. The method of making tags of sheet material with an openingreinforced by patches, which comprises cutting the patch material intolongitudinal strips with undulated margins, protuberances of kone ofpatches and ysaid-tag theref which substantially interfit with recessesof the other, feeding similar strips thus formed te a position above andbelow a strip of tag stock with the protuberances in substantial.

ly registering relation,A severing patches f from the patch strips alonga line substani tially even with the edge of the tag stock and applyingthe individual patches to the tag stock. l c

7. The method lof making tagsof sheet material with an openingreinforced by patches, which comprises cutting the patch material intolongitudinal strips with 'unclulated margins, protuberances of one ofwhiclisubstantially interfit with recesses of the other, feeding similarstrips'thus formed to a position above and below a strip .of tag stockwith protuberances in substantially kregistering relation, severing thepatches from the strip at a point adjoining the edge of the tag stock,pressing the patches and tag ksteek into adhesive engagement, and punch-Y ing a hole throughsaid patches and said tag therebetween.

8. rlhe method of making tags of sheetv material with an openingreinforced by patches, which comprises cutting thepatch material intolongitudinal strips with undulated margins, protuberances of one ofwhich substantially -interfit with recesses of the adjoining strip,feeding similar vstrips thus formed in intermittent synchronism with astrip of tag stock, eifecting the stepioo by-step movement of said patchstrips in such a ina-nner that each'step is for a distance substantiallyequal to the sinn of a recessed and pi'otuberant portion of a margin 'ofthe strip, and concomitantly effecting the step-by-step movement` of thetag stock so that each stepped movement thereof is synchronized with asimilar movement of the patch 'strips so that the latter are brought toa position above and below the tag stock,

with protuberances in substantially registering relation, pressing thepatches into vadhesive engagement withk the tag stock, and punching ahole through said patches and said stocktherebetween.

9. The method of making Lreinforcing patches for tags which compriseslongitudinelly cutting :i sheet of reinforcing` materiel into stripsWhose margins have alternate recesses and protuherences of like butreverse contour, the protnbersnces of each strip substantiellyfittingtherccesses ot the next sdjecent strips, and then transverselySeverin the strips, whereby the sheet is cut longitudinally andtransversely into patches With substantially no Weste of stock.

10. The method of melting reinforcing patches for 'tags which compriseslongitudinally cutting` s sheet oit reinforcing materiel into stripsWhose margins have slt-ernste re'- cesses and protuherances ot like butreverse contour, the protuherences oit each strip suh- 'stantislflyfitting the recesses oi the next ad jacent strips, and then transverselysevering the strips at staggered points, whereby the sheet is cntlongitudinally and transversely into patches with substantially no Wasteof stock.

` 11. The method of making reinforcing patches for tags Which compriseslongitudinelly cuttinge sheet of reinforcing` insterinl into stripsWhoseV inerginshsve alternate recesses endl `proi'znherences et l' tebut reverse contour, the protnherences of each strip suhstantisllyfitting the recesses et 'the' nextv ad messes jee-ent strips, end thentransversely severing the strips at intervals eorrespending4 tok the sumof one recess end one protuherence7 whereby the si-ieet isV cntlongitudinellyand transversely into patches with substantially no Westeof stock. n

l2. The method of melting tags of sheet material with openingsreinforced by patches, which comprises cutting` a patch strip withsuccessive ifnerginsl nndnletions, subsequently feeding thev petchstripto a cuttingl elenient hy Ineens ot elements engjeg'ing the nndnletions,thereupon cutting seperate patches frein the end et the strip andapplying the same to the tag stock.

13. The inethod of nielring tags of sheet material With openingsreinforced hy patches, which comprises cuttings patch strip withsuccessive marginal undulatiOn-s, subsequently engaging' successiveprotubernt portions oi the patch stript and' thus feeding' the seinehyestep-hystep move? nient to s cutting element, thereupon cuttingseparate patches 'from the end of the strip end applying the seine tothe teg stock. A Signed by nie et Frerningfhein, Massachusetts, this 9thday oin Deceinhei,1926;

CARL A. FLOO'lD.

